


The Power Of Love

by musikfurfreiheit



Category: Delain (Band), Nightwish
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 12:18:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5090471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikfurfreiheit/pseuds/musikfurfreiheit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Superhero fanfic!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**_Troria, a planet far, far away_ **

Blue light lit up the entire room before it turned into a hologram. Images of destroyed buildings appeared, virtual body parts flew through the office and a sword flew into Erix’s direction before he turned the device off again. The sounds of the ongoing war disappeared and were replaced by a loud silence. He had no choice, this was the right decision, even though it broke his heart. The knock on the door sounded scared, as if the man in the doorway knew what was about to happen.

‘You called me, sir?’

Erix didn’t look up at his assistant. He kept staring at the spot where the hologram had been, as if he was waiting for it to give him more options. It didn’t come, he had already waited too long.

‘We need to close the academy.’

‘Sir…’

‘We have no choice, Tristen, we need to close. We need to give our students their best chance and they’re not safe here. You know the protocol?’

‘I do sir, but… Are you sure?’ Tristen asked carefully. ‘This is-’

‘The future of our planet, I know. But I’m afraid they won’t have a planet to protect.’

The two men stared at each other for a second. The silence was interrupted by an explosion in the city a few kilometers away, followed by the vibrations of the aftershock. This was their sign, they had to do it.

‘Go, bring the students to safety.’

Tristen nodded and left the office of the academy’s principal. Erix listened to his footsteps running through the hallway before sitting down in his chair. He let his gaze wander through the office. This had always been his dream, to be the head of the Graeyam Academy. Ever since Erix was accepted into his grandfather’s academy he had worked to prove himself, to show everyone he was a true Graeyam and worth of his grandfather’s legacy.

And now, all of this was coming to an end.

Troria was in war, the planet wasn’t a safe place anymore. The new students of the Graeyam academy weren’t ready yet to fight and Erix had made an oath to protect them. He had to protect the Gifted Children, they would be the only ones to rebuild this place once the war was over. If there was anything left to rebuild, that was.

At the other side of the academy Tristen informed the teachers about what was about to happen. Without a single word all of them nodded and got up. They trusted their leader and did not question a single one of his decisions. The Gifted Children where gathered on the roof of the academy where they stepped into the aircraft without looking back at their home.

The aircraft rose into the air and left Troria behind only an hour before a new explosion ruined the Graeyam Academy.

 ** _17 Years Later, Earth  
_** Charlotte was one of those people that always woke up in a good mood. She loved it when the sun greeted her in the morning, she would say hello to the bird sitting on the window sill and drink her tea while she watched the city waking up. She never had to worry about anything. Her last exams at school were over and went very smoothly, there was no boyfriend or girlfriend to worry about, her parents paid for everything. She was living in Paradise.

With just one look through the huge windows of her apartment Charlotte had concluded it would be a beautiful day and she couldn’t wait to go outside. She grabbed the first outfit in her closet and put it on before brushing her teeth and her long red hair. A pair of sunglasses were added to complete the outfit and a smile was already in place when Charlotte left the apartment.

Just two seconds after she’d closed the door behind her, the door on the other side of the hall opened. Charlotte smiled at her neighbor, just like she always did, and watched the movements of the tall brunette  as she locked her door. Floor was a beautiful young woman and her way of moving her muscles seemed so unlike anyone else’s. It was a bit more powerful than necessary, a little less gentle then the average person, it was… special. Even though they had been living across from each other for 3 years they barely knew each other, but Charlotte for sure liked watching her.

‘Is something wrong?’

Charlotte snapped out of her thoughts as Floor’s voice reached her. A little rush of panic went through her body, but then she remember she actually had an excuse to wait for the other girl.

‘No, not at all. I just wanted to ask you something.’ Charlotte smiled. ‘I’m turning 23 next week and I’m giving a party. You’re welcome to join us if you want, it’s a dress up party.’

‘I’ll think about it.’

Floor smiled once again before heading towards the stairs. That was another reason the redhead admired her neighbor, you would never see Floor take the elevator. For a second Charlotte considered following her example and she surprised herself as she pushed open the door to the staircase. She expected Floor to be somewhere underneath her, but there was no sign of the tall brunette.

The fresh air was more than welcome when Charlotte opened the front door of the building, still slightly out of breath. Knowing very well she wouldn’t do it, she promised herself she’d take the stairs more often before turning right and walking out of the street. Her neighbor and the stairs were already forgotten by the time she reached the corner. Once again she was enjoying the sun on her face and forgetting everything else, including the fact that pickpockets were everywhere in the city.

She lost her balance as a young man ran into her and grabbed her purse, knocking her over in the process. She wanted to scream for help, but a red  _something_  flashed right in front of her when she took a deep breath.

Blue eyes appeared right in front of her face out of nowhere only a few seconds later. Charlotte had to blink a few times before she was able to believe what she saw. The Siren, a superheroine that did a better job at protecting the village than the police, was standing right in front of her. It was the first time that she could take a good look at the fabulous red costume and the leather mask that hid most of the woman’s face. But most of all it were those eyes. They were so blue that an ocean lit by moonlight should be ashamed. Charlotte was almost sure her bright blue eyes were the source of her powers, but then she was reminded of why she was called The Siren.

‘Are you okay?’

Charlotte could only nod. The Siren’s voice was her true power, the sweet and angelic voice that she used to hypnotize criminals into turning themselves in.

‘Good, and be more careful.’ The superheroine said before giving her purse back and disappearing only a second later. Slowly Charlotte got up and kept looking into the direction The Siren had disappeared. She had always thought that meeting a superhero would be magical, but for some reason it was not. It wasn’t as special as she expected, almost as if they had met before.


	2. Chapter 2

Charlotte started regretting inviting so many friends when she stood in front of her apartment building. The plastic bags were cutting into the skin on her hands, as if they were punishing her for being so filled. They seemed as if they could burst any moment and Charlotte swore that if they did, she would cancel the party. Or have a party without snacks. Her arms still hurt from the workout at the gym the previous day and she did not want to carry everything in her arms up the stairs for 5 floors.

‘Did you invite the entire city?’

Charlotte had been so busy with convincing herself the bags would hold that she hadn’t noticed Floor standing in front of her. She was wearing shorts and a loose shirt and seemed to be ready for a work out.

‘Eh, no, just a couple of friends.’ Charlotte laughed. ‘Are you going to the gym?’

‘No, just for a run, but I can help you with those bags if you want? Then my arms get a workout too.’

Without hesitating Floor took the bags from the redhead, who was surprised when the taller woman opened the door to the staircase.

‘You’re taking the stairs?’

‘Yup, see you upstairs!’

Charlotte had to blink a few times before she could actually believe it. Floor obviously was in much better shape than she was, and it was confirmed when Charlotte got out of the elevator on the fifth floor. The taller woman was already there, and not even slightly out of breath.

‘How did you get here so fast?’

‘Secretly I’m a superhero.’ Floor laughed. ‘Do you need me to put them inside?’

‘No, I’ll manage.’

‘Okay, then I’ll see you this evening.’

‘So you’re coming?’

‘Yup, I’m going to pick up my costume when I’m done with my run.’ Floor smiled and winked before she headed towards the staircase again.

Charlotte vaguely recognized the song the brunette was whistling before the door fell shut behind her and the hallway turned silent again. The redhead wondered why they had never properly met as she opened the door to her apartment and dragged the bags inside. They seemed to have the same age, the short conversations the two had were always nice, why didn’t they know each other better?

She had no idea of what Floor did to fill her days, except from sporting. Did she have a boyfriend? There was this one man that came over on a regular base, but he seemed too old for her neighbor.

Charlotte stopped overthinking it as she closed the door behind her and looked at her apartment. There still was a lot of work to do if she wanted to have a party in a few hours.

A shout filled the apartment as Charlotte put the usb in the audio system. She had managed to get her apartment ready before any of her guests had arrived, something that had never happened before.

There wasn’t much time left before the first knock on the door would sound, but Charlotte checked her outfit one more time in the mirror. The lion suit she was wearing was simple and her red hair formed a perfect mane, but she still wasn’t sure. Her costume that resembled the one of The Siren was hanging in her closet. She’d been so excited to put it on but once she was wearing it, it didn’t feel right. Her red hair didn’t match the red suit, her hazel eyes didn’t suit the mask. She wasn’t The Siren, she didn’t even look nearly as great as the superhero and she had to accept that she would never be one. Now the suit was hanging in the closet and Charlotte hadn’t even looked at it anymore, but she still wasn’t sure if she made the right choice by not wearing it. She was pulled from her thoughts as a knock on the door sounded. There was no time to change anymore, she would be a lion this evening.

One by one all her friends arrived and the pile of presents on the coffee table grew. Some brought perfume, some CDs, but most of them just got her a birthday card and Charlotte was happy about that. She loved collecting cards and looking at them every few months.

‘Hey, Charlie!’ Charlotte saw a vampire approaching her and it was only when she stood right in front of her, that she recognized Sharon. ‘Do you have any more popcorn?  The cowboy over there ate everything.’

‘Oh, yeah, sure.’

She took the empty bowl from her friend and made her way to the kitchen. Quickly she turned on the machine she’d already prepared and waited for the popcorn to be ready.

‘Hey Charlotte.’

The redhead turned around as a voice sounded behind her. She immediately recognized Floor underneath the Catwoman costume, but there was something that didn’t seem right. Floor came into the kitchen and Charlotte gasped when she stood in front of her.   
Those were not the eyes of Catwoman, those were the eyes of The Siren. How had she never seen this before? Maybe because she had never seen Floor with a mask?

‘Charlotte, are you okay?’

‘I eh…’

‘Charlotte where is the-?’

Charlotte quickly grabbed the now filled bowl with popcorn and pushed it in Sharon’s hands before pushing her out of the kitchen again. She closed the door and leaned against it while she stared at her neighbor, who just stared back at her with a frown. It was silent in the kitchen but the bass from the living room still lingered in the background.

‘You’re The Siren.’

‘No, I’m Catwoman.’  Floor laughed.

‘This explains why you were able to climb the stairs so fast, you  _are_ a superhero and you just flew up here.’

‘I run, I don’t fly.’ Floor laughed again, before her smile disappeared. ‘And I shouldn’t have said that..’

‘I can’t believe it, The Siren lives across my apartment.’

‘You can’t tell anyone, it has to be a secret. Charlotte, you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone.’

‘The Siren is standing right in front of me…’

‘Charlotte!’

The redhead flinched. It was the first time she heard Floor use her voice like this and it almost scared her. But most of all, it fascinated her.

‘I promise, but on one condition.’

‘And what would that be?’

‘Teach me.’ Charlotte said. ‘Show me how I can become a superhero.’

‘I can’t train you! I didn’t  _become_  a superhero, I was a Gifted Child!’

‘A what?’

‘Okay, look.’ Floor said nervously. ‘Come to my apartment tomorrow, I’ll explain everything and… I’ll see what I can do for you, but please, don’t tell anyone.’

Eventually Charlotte agreed and went back to the party. Sharon smirked at her but Charlotte ignored it. She didn’t care what Sharon thought she’d done in the kitchen. Tomorrow, she would become a superhero.


	3. Chapter 3

The door of Floor’s apartment was exactly the same as her own. The bright brown color of the wood slowly started fading and there was a small spot in the right bottom corner, the exact place Floor kicked the door to open it. Her own door had the same spot and she still remembered how guilty she had felt the first time she saw it. It was such a nice door and she was damaging it. There were so many details in the wood and now that she was looking at Floor’s door, she discovered them all over again.

All lines on the door seemed more or less parallel, but there was one that went its own way. How funny that even doors reflect the people that live inside the apartment. Floor might seem normal, but Charlotte now knew she wasn’t, just like her apartment. The flat looked just like all the others, but it was the only one that was turned into a superhero headquarters.

Charlotte was pulled from her thoughts when the door in front of her suddenly opened. Floor smiled at her but she felt busted. As if she was caught staring at the wrong person.

‘You’ve been standing there for almost 4 minutes, where you ever planning on knocking?’

‘Eh, yes.’ Charlotte mumbled. ‘How did you know I was here?’

‘Come in.’

Charlotte hesitated for half a second before she entered the apartment. She was surprised when she looked around and saw that the flat looked a lot like hers. She didn’t know what she expected, but not once did she think the flat would look  _normal_. It was only when Floor closed the door behind her that the redhead noticed the man on sofa. It was the same man that she saw here on a regular base but could impossibly be Floor’s boyfriend. Or she had to be into men that were at least 10 years older than her.

‘This is Tristen.’ Floor said as she stood next to her. ‘His hearing is overdeveloped and when I was a kid he caught me sneaking out of my room all the time. He heard you when you stood in front of the door.’

‘So, he’s your brother?’

Tristen started laughing and shook his head. Floor only smiled.

‘Maybe you need to sit down for this. It’s quite a story that we’re about to tell you.’

Charlotte looked at the two other people in the room before she eventually sat down. Floor looked at Tristen, as if she was waiting for him to start talking. For a few seconds it was silent in the apartment, then the brunette sighed.

‘We’re from another planet.’ Floor spoke the words like she was dropping a bomb. It was quick, but it was there, and it didn’t give you a chance to think about it. ‘We’re not even from this galaxy. We were born on a planet called Troria, a planet a few light years from here. Troria looked a lot like earth and so did the people, except for the few who were born with powers.’

‘The Gifted Children?’ Charlotte asked as she remembered that term from their previous conversation.

‘Indeed. Some were born with excellent hearing, like Tristen, others can fly, are extremely strong or can freeze things. Some are born with the ability to shapeshift, anything is possible.’

‘And what are your powers?’

‘I can run really fast, faster than the eye can see. Tristen trained me in martial arts but my most powerful strength is my voice, that’s why I call myself The Siren.’

‘So, you were trained to be a superhero and then sent to protect the earth? That’s so awesome!’ Charlotte smiled, but looked serious again as none of the others seemed to share her opinion.

‘I’m afraid that that’s not what happened.’ Tristen said softly. ‘The truth is not nearly as  _awesome_  as you think it is.’

‘We weren’t meant to leave Troria.’ Floor continues her story. ‘The Gifted Children were trained to protect  _our_  planet. Unfortunately, they couldn’t stop the war, they didn’t stand a single chance against the machines the people had built. Erix, the principle of the Graeyam Academy, the school of the Giften Children, sent all his students to Earth to protect us. He thought that we could return one day and rebuilt the place, but Troria was completely destroyed the day after we left. I was only 8 years old when I arrived here. Tristen raised me like I was his own daughter and he kept training me, just like he did at the academy.’

Charlotte didn’t know what to say. The sudden silence was unbearable. She kept waiting for one of them to yell “Just kidding!” and tell her all of this was just a joke, but it didn’t happen. Floor slowly walked towards her and sat down next to her. Her face was filled with pain, as if she was reliving her memories all over again.

‘Charlotte, I hope you understand now that I was born a superhero. I can’t train you, but it is important that you don’t tell anyone about this. I don’t want to be the center of scientists’ attention, I just want to live in peace and help the world every now and then.’

‘But, I can help you. Doesn’t every superhero need a sidekick?’

‘She’s right.’ Tristen answered before Floor could say anything. ‘You could use some help.’

‘No!’ Floor protested as she stood again. ‘She can’t help me, she doesn’t have any powers! And besides, it’s my job to protect the people, not bring them into danger.’

Tristen sighed and also stood. He slowly put his hands on Floor’s shoulders and looked her right in the eye.

‘Floor, listen. I know you want to do this alone, that you want to protect your new home no matter what. And you’ve proven that you can do that, that you’re strong and independent, but maybe it’s time to let someone help you. If you don’t want to accept my help, then at least accept hers.’

‘I don’t need any help!’

In the blink of an eye Floor ran out of the flat, leaving Tristen and Charlotte behind. The man sighed again, then looked at Charlotte with a small smile.

‘I will train you the very best I can. I can’t give you superpowers, but I can teach you how to fight. It will be hard and you will suffer a lot. But if you can convince Floor that you can protect people, you already are a superhero.’


	4. Chapter 4

Pain, that was what had filled Charlotte’s life the last few weeks. The rough surface of the mat almost burned her face as she fell down on it. Every muscle in her body hurt as she got up again, her arms and legs shaking in the process. The spot on her thigh where Tristen had kicked her was screaming, begging her to stop, but she didn’t listen.

Charlotte was totally focused on the man in front of her and tried to ignore the pain that came with every breath. She was not a quitter and she had to prove it. Her body was covered with cuts and bruises, she was exhausted, but she was not quitting.

Her entire body protested as she moved and prepared to attack again. Her hand shortly made contact with Tristen’s arm, but only a second later she was laying on the floor again.

‘That’s enough, Tristen. I need to speak to you.’

Charlotte let her head fall to the side and she saw Floor standing there. She hadn’t noticed her neighbor watching them, how long had she been standing there? Had she at least seen the few times she’d managed to get Tristen down?

The man walked away from her without saying and Charlotte closed her eyes. For a moment she didn’t feel the pain. She only felt her mind relaxing before her body followed. Finally, rest.

Charlotte smiled. She could feel her heart beating in every part of her body and slowly her brain started to register the pain again. She had a goal and with ever bruise she came closer to it. Soon she would be a superhero. The sweat gluing her shirt to her skin reminded her she could use some water and she tried to get up. Once again her muscles protested, and once again she ignored them. Without a second thought Charlotte made her way towards the kitchen, but froze as she heard Floor’s saying her name.

‘I am not taking Charlotte with me!’

‘Floor, come on, she’s great, give her a chance.’

‘No.’ Floor protested. ‘I don’t trust this and I don’t want to risk the life of an innocent citizen.’

‘You’re seeing ghosts.’

‘I know what I saw! This was not the work of a normal criminal, of a  _human_  criminal.’

‘You do realize that what you’re saying is that one of us has turned their back, using their powers for evil?’

‘I… I am not taking her with me!’

Charlotte had heard enough. She turned around and sneaked out of the apartment, careful not to make a sound as she closed the door behind her. Once she was in her own flat she peeled her clothes off her body. More cuts and bruises became visible, as if she took off her superhero skin. The hot shower relaxed her muscles, but not her mind.

Floor didn’t want to take her, and she had every right. She would have to look after her, not able to focus on the crime 100%. The brunette didn’t trust her and she understood that, then why was she so disappointed? Tristen had warned her, it would be hard to convince Floor, and yet Charlotte felt like she had already failed.

For the first time in weeks the redhead considered giving up. She had gone through all the training with Tristen, had knives thrown at her and jumped off scaring heights. She had been shooting arrows at apples while Tristen had chased her with a sword, but not once had she even considered quitting. But had it all been worth her time and pain?

Her hair was still dripping as she entered the living room again, but the effect of the shower faded as Charlotte’s eye fell on the newspaper. On the front page was an article about The Siren. The city’s hero had stopped criminals who attempted robbing the bank. Some described how they saw the superhero flying away when her job was done, even though Charlotte now knew that was impossible.

Further down the article also mentioned the few other deeds Floor had done earlier that day while Charlotte had been training. She could still remember how she had almost finished 80 push-ups when Floor entered the apartment and yelled  “Guess who just stopped a bank robbery?!”. Charlotte’s arms had given up on her that moment. Her face had met the floor once again and she had to start all over. But it would be worth it, once she was a superhero.

Charlotte sighed as she grabbed the paper from the coffee table and placed it on top of her pile of newspapers. Almost all of them had an article about The Siren on the front page and she’d kept them for motivation. Now they only had the opposite effect. She was just a normal girl in the big city. She didn’t have any special powers and couldn’t save the world. The papers would never write about her and she couldn’t remember why she’d ever thought otherwise.

The moonlight fell into the room as Charlotte opened her eyes. She could barely recognize some shapes in her room, but it was still too dark to actually see anything. It was the middle of the night, why was she awake? She just closed her eyes again and tried get into her dream again when Charlotte heard it. There was a knock on the door, followed by Floor’s voice and Charlotte just knew that this was also what had woken her up in the first place.

Charlotte just pulled her pillow over her head and closed her eyes again. She didn’t care about Floor, didn’t want to see her. She just wanted to sleep, dream about singing on a big stage in front of an audience that screamed the lyrics. If she couldn’t be a superhero, then she would be a rockstar. That was, if Floor would stop knocking on her door.

‘Charlotte let me in or I will knock down your door!’

For a second Charlotte considered ignoring her but then she groaned and threw the blanket off the bed. She knew Floor actually would kick down her door and she did not want to explain to her parents how that had happened. Charlotte didn’t say a word as she opened the door. She just gave the other girl her deadliest glance while she kept longing for her bed.

‘Finally.’ Floor said. ‘You look awful.’

‘It’s the middle of the night, I was sleeping.’

‘Well, you’ll have to sacrifice some hours of sleep if you want to be a superhero. Here, take this.’ Floor said as she entered the apartment and pushed a necklace in Charlotte’s hands. ‘Put it on.’

‘What’s this?’

‘Just put it on and push the button on the back.’

Charlotte kept her eye on Floor as she did what she was told, not completely trusting it. For a second nothing happened, but just a moment later, less than the blink of an eye, she was covered in a black suit. She recognized the design she’d created with Tristen as she noticed the L on both shoulders and she gasped. This was her own superhero suit. As dark as the sky so she could disappear into the night, material that was fire- and ice resisting and a mask to hide half her face. She let her finger run over the L on her left arm. L of Lot, the name she’d chosen for herself. Not The Lion, not Charlie. Lot, like the river in France where her father had taught her to swim when she was 5.

‘I-I thought you didn’t want me to fight?’

‘I don’t, but Tristen is the boss.’ Floor said as she stared at her, almost as if she was admiring her. ‘Come on, we’re going to test your skills in the dark. I’ll see you at the library.’

And once again Floor was gone before Charlotte had the chance to say anything. Her mind was awake now, but the same couldn’t be said of her body. She still didn’t have the superpower to run with the speed of light and the journey to the library seemed to take forever. She could imagine how Floor was fighting with the criminals and how she used her voice to hypnotize them. She’d once asked the superhero why she didn’t use the power on her. Why didn’t she hypnotize her to make her forget about the whole superhero thing or to convince her not to fight. “Because you’re not a criminal and I took an oath.” The answer was so simple, but just using her power would also have been an easy solution to all of this.

Even though she’d been working with Tristen for weeks now, Charlotte was still out of breath as she finally reached the library. Floor stood outside, in front of a hole in the wall. The hole had the shape of a perfect circle but that was the only abnormality to be seen.

‘There you are.’ Floor said without looking up. ‘A bit too late, just like me.’

‘Wha-What’s this?’

‘A hole, a perfect hole that concerns me.’ Floor mumbled. ‘Come on, there’s nothing more we can do here. I’ll walk home with you, in your tempo.’

Both superhero’s smiled at each other before they headed home again. For almost an entire minute it was completely silent. Floor seemed to be lost in thoughts, Charlotte took her chance to watch Floor in her costume. She noticed Floor didn’t wear a necklace like the one she’d given her, could her costume be in her bracelet? She’d noticed the bracelet before, but not once had she considered the possibility.

‘Is that where you keep your suit?’ Charlotte asked as she pointed at Floor’s wrist.

‘Eh, yeah. I got it from my parents when I went to the academy. It’s the last thing they ever gave me and the only thing I’ve left.’

‘Oh.’

Then the silence returned. Neither of them said another word as walked through the night. They were those people that Charlotte would watch on nights she couldn’t sleep. She would sit in front of her window, watch the people that walked by and wonder what they were doing outside in the middle of the night. She would imagine them on the date they just had, where he had made a terrible joke and she had laughed with it because they turned out to have the same kind of humor. She imagined how the man across the street had to go to the night store to because his pregnant wife was craving pickles.

She tried imagining seeing themselves, walking through the streets without talking to each other. As if they were two strangers that walked next to each other in the same direction by pure coincidence. She would think the first date had failed and one was walking the other home, because they still cared about each other’s safety. What if that indeed was what happened? What if she had failed Floor because she was so late?

‘I’ll see you tomorrow at 10, we’ll walk through the city and I’ll show you what I do all day.’

It was the only sentence that was spoken between the two of them before their ways parted and they each entered their own apartment. But it was enough, enough for Charlotte to know she hadn’t failed Floor. Enough to know that her dream of being a superhero wasn’t lost yet.


	5. Chapter 5

Could sheep take the stairs or an elevator? The question had been bothering Charlotte ever since she lay down in bed. She was unable to sleep and she had tried to count sheep, which was kind of hard without any actual sheep around. Counting the stars outside and the weird spots on her ceiling also hadn’t worked. Charlotte was just too excited to sleep.

In the last month she’d helped The Siren as much as possible. She had run through the entire city to get to a crime and sometimes she could see Floor use the power of her voice, but most of the time she was too late. It didn’t matter that her personal record was 10 seconds faster than a month ago, she was not fast enough. She needed something like Floor’s power, something as fast as the speed of light, and Tristen just happened to have that.

For a week he’d been sending her text about his  _secret project_  and earlier that day he’d finally showed the result. She’d actually screamed when she put on her adjusted suit, that was how amazing it was. She wanted to try it out and show the world her new power. Lot would be just as powerful as The Siren, or almost, and she wanted to show the world just that.

The thoughts of fighting crime with her new power almost made her miss the flickering blue light of her phone. Several seconds passed before she realized Floor needed her and she almost fell out of her bed as she tried to get out of it. Checking Floor’s location on her way to the living room she already pushed the small button on the back of her necklace and changed into her superhero suit. Charlotte allowed herself to look at her own reflection in the big window before opening the window and stepping outside.   
Without a second thought she jumped down. Adrenaline shot through her body as she fell for a few seconds before she pushed the new small button near her wrist. Within a second she stopped falling. The jetpack Tristen had installed in her suit worked perfectly and after training with a similar suit for weeks she knew exactly how it worked. She easily flew through the air and made her way towards the biggest jewelry store in town.

Floor was nowhere to be seen as she arrived. For a second she even thought this was a joke and the superhero was messing with her, but then she spotted the red suit inside the store. She literally flew in and kneeled next to Floor, who was hiding behind a display. Floor’s mask covered most of her face, but Charlotte would swear her eyebrow was risen as she looked at her.

‘What?’

‘A jetpack.’ Floor whispered, still unable to believe her eyes. ‘You have  _a jetpack_. I… did not see that coming.’

‘It’s pretty cool, huh?’

‘Yeah. But anyway. 5 men are in the save, their communication gear blocks my voice so we’ll have to fight them.’ Floor sighed before taking one of Charlotte’s hands and looking her in the eye. ‘Lot, they’re armed so please, promise me you’ll be careful.’

‘I promise.’ Charlotte smiled before getting up.

After that Charlotte ran on adrenaline and everything went fast. She and Floor made their way over to the save. They tried to be a silent as possible, but bullets came flying their way before they turned around the corner. Using their speed and jetpack they avoided the bullets and managed to reach the criminals. It was the first time Charlotte really got to use her training but it seemed to work. The first man went down without too much trouble but a second one already appeared before she could take a breath. There was no time to think. She could already hear footsteps approaching of a third man and she knew she had to rely on her training. Charlotte did as she was taught and aimed for the most painful but not fatal spots on the body. Never before had she fought two targets at the same time but she was managing, until she heard the gunshots.

Floor was once again nowhere to be seen, but the first two gunshots were followed by another three. Panic joined the adrenaline in her body. Where was Floor? Was she okay?

The two man she had been fighting came towards her again. She decided she didn’t have time to deal with them the proper way and activated her jetpack again. She quickly lifted her feet and kicked both man in the face before she turned around and made her way towards the save. The sight of two unconscious men greeted her, Floor standing right between. Charlotte was relieved and wanted to fly towards her to hug her, until she saw the dark spot on the other woman’s arm.

‘You’ve been shot!’

‘It’s fine, it’s just a flesh wound.’ Floor said as she tried to catch her breath. ‘But the police will be here soon, we need to go.’

‘Flo-’

‘We have to go,  _Lot_.’

Without another word Floor grabbed Charlotte’s arm and dragged her outside, the activated jetpack making her feel like a child’s balloon. Floor stopped when they were two streets away from the store. They traded their suits for regular clothes and Floor laughed as Charlotte’s suit turned into her pajamas.

‘I was in bed already, okay?’ Charlotte blushed as they walked home.

Both of them laughed but didn’t say another word. They just walked next to each other while the adrenaline slowly wore off. Charlotte could see Floor was in pain, but it was only when they were about to part ways and each go to their own apartment that she dared to say something about it.

‘Will you take care of your arm?’

‘It will heal, don’t worry.’ Floor weakly smiled.

‘Let me do it.’

‘What?’

‘Let me do it.’ Charlotte repeated. ‘Let me take care of your arm.’

‘Charlotte, it’s okay, really.’

‘No, it’s not. You’re fulfilling my dream, making me a superhero. The least I can do is take care of you.’

Floor sighed and rolled her eyes before she opened her apartment and entered. Charlotte smiled as she saw the other woman left the door open and she followed her neighbor into the apartment. The brunette placed the first aid kit on the coffee table as Charlotte closed the door and both sat down on the sofa. Carefully Charlotte pulled up the sleeve of Floor’s shirt. She almost gasped as she saw the wound, but managed to keep her reaction to herself. She stared cleaning the skin and was relieved that the wound seemed a lot less serious than she first thought. As careful as possible she disinfected the wound before bandaging it up. With a smile she looked at the result and she kissed the hurt spot before looking at Floor’s face.

The other woman looked back with a risen eyebrow and the smile disappeared from Charlotte’s face. She mumbled an apology and good night as she stood and left the apartment, slapping herself once she was in her own flat. What was she thinking? Her skin was so soft and warm so it would be okay if she tried kissing the pain away? She had been worried about Floor so now they had  a connection?

Charlotte tried shaking off the feeling as she crawled in bed again. She looked at the stars once again but this time she felt like she could fall asleep any moment. She closed her eyes and tried replacing the disappointed feeling with happiness about her first real fight, only to fall asleep with Floor’s smile on her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Charlotte bit her lip as she opened the door to the staircase, trying to keep herself from smiling. She was excited to see if Lot and The Siren had made it to the front page of the newspaper again. In her head she tried to imagine what the title would be while running down the stairs. She didn’t hate the stairs anymore, she actually loved running down on them now in the morning, secretly because it was faster than the elevator and she’d get to the newspaper sooner.

Charlotte was glad there were no people around and she smiled widely as she saw her newspaper. A picture of Lot and The siren, running through the city filled the front page underneath the title  _“Lot is a keeper”._ She still remembered the very first article about her, how they’d wondered where she came from and if a superhero duo would work. Now they were praising her, thanking her for helping The Siren protecting the city. A huge smile stayed on her face as she read the entire article while walking up the stairs again.

A celebrity, that’s how she felt. Reading about herself in the newspaper, having a secret identity, people wanting pictures of her. She was a celebrity and she loved it. She might not make any money with it but the people loved her and that was enough.

‘Enjoy it as long as you can.’ Charlotte looked up from her paper as she heard the voice the exact moment she opened the door to her floor. Floor smiled as she closed the door of her apartment, all ready for her evening run. ‘You’ll get used to reading about yourself, even find it annoying, trust me. Are you ready for the run?’

‘Yeah, just a second!’

Charlotte almost threw the newspaper in her apartment before joining Floor in the hallway again. She was surprised by how quickly she’d adapted to her new lifestyle, but she already loved it. Sleeping through the day, waking up in the afternoon, going for an evening run instead of a morning run and protecting the world at night. Floor, not being a real human being, only needed 4 hours of sleep to be well rested and handled with the few criminals that worked in the morning. It worked perfectly.

The sun just started setting as the duo opened the door of the apartment building. The air still held a hint of the fruit seller that stood around the corner ever week. Charlotte love his strawberries and now regretted not getting some today. She could almost taste them, almost actually smell them as they passed the spot and started their run. They ran in a normal tempo, tried to avoid the couples that walked hand in hand towards the cinema and held their eyes on the city around them. Charlotte had to admit she was watching the setting sun more than she was scanning her surroundings for people who needed help.

The sun had almost completely set by the time Charlotte and Floor reached the redhead’s favorite part of the city. The streets in this part of the city were filled with artists trying to sell their art and make people fall in love with their music. Charlotte preferred to walk around these streets by day, but with Floor by her side she didn’t mind passing here at night. The artists were different, their art darker and their souls more dangerous, but with a superhero by her side she was safe.

Charlotte looked up as she suddenly noticed Floor wasn’t next to her anymore. She stopped running and turned around, surprised when she saw Floor checking out one of the art pieces.

‘I didn’t know you’re interested in art?’

‘I’m not, especially not in this kind of art.’ Floor said with a frown. ‘Come with me.’

Floor grabbed her wrist and made sure she had no choice but to follow her into a nearby alley. Charlotte could feel the fear coming from the other woman and it scared her. She’d never seen Floor like this and she wondered what kind of art could have this effect on a fearless superhero.

‘What’s going on?’ Charlotte asked as Floor let go of her wrist.

‘I think I know who has been terrorizing the city in the last months.’ Floor answered, as if she was thinking out loud. ‘This can’t be coincidence. First those crimes and now the logo of the academy. Open in public, everyone can see it but the most important part is that I saw it. It’s placed there so I would see it.’

‘Wait, you mean the academy from your home planet?’

‘The Graeyam Acadamy, indeed. It’s one of us, one of our own is attack the city.’

‘But why would that do that?’

‘I have no idea.’ Floor sighed.

‘Oh no? Think again.’

Charlotte and Floor both looked up as they heard a third voice and from then everything went fast. Before Charlotte had the chance to blink she felt two arms around her body before she was lifted in the air. The arms were strong and pulled her close to their owner’s body, keeping her tighter that necessary and probably bruising her skin. She hung in the air, several meters above Floor who looked at her with fear-filled eyes.

‘Tuomas.’ Floor gritted.

‘For you it’s Black Owl.’ The man holding Charlotte answered, a wave of un-fresh air hitting her as he spoke. ‘Thank again, Siren, why would I attack your beloved city?’

‘Because you’ve always been bad. You always were the badboy of the school and you love breaking the rules.’

‘I’m afraid I’ll have to correct you.’ The man smiled. ‘I have not always been bad, I’m simply looking for revenge.’

‘Revenge for what? That I beat you in class?’

‘Revenge for my brother.’

For a second Floor and the man looked at each other in a scaring silence. The man snorted and Charlotte thought she might throw up from the scent and the painful way she was held.

‘You don’t even remember him, do you? He’s the student you got kicked out of the academy in your first month. It broke him, he was ashamed and didn’t dare to face our parents again because he had failed. He killed himself because you got him kicked out of the academy.’

‘Tuomas, he was breaking the rules. I only reported him for the safety of the other students.’

‘I don’t care!’ Charlotte let out a small cry as the man tightened his grip on her again. She couldn’t move and the nausea was growing stronger. ‘You took something from me, something I loved very much, so now I will do the same with you, Siren.’

‘Tuomas, let her go!’ The emotions in Floor’s voice were so raw it made it sound weak and powerful at the same time. It scared Charlotte, and it scared her to just hang there in the air, in the arms of a villain.

‘You can’t do that, come on you too must have a souvenir from your homeplanet.’ The redhead carefully asked.

‘Oh, she doesn’t know? You know what, I’ll give the two of you some time to say goodbye. My revenge will be even sweeter if she can share your pain. Catch.’

As sudden as the arms around her body had appeared, they disappeared again and Charlotte fell down. There was no time to change into her suit and activate her jetpack, but Floor luckily managed to catch her. The two women looked at each other as they heard the man fly away.

‘Floor? What was he talking about?’

Floor sighed and closed her eyes for a second. Emotions flashed through her eyes as she opened them again and Charlotte wondered if it was even possible to feel so many things at the same time. For a second she feared the brunette would start crying, but then she smiled.

‘Let’s go home.’


	7. Chapter 7

For the first time since Charlotte had discovered Floor was from another planet, the other woman actually looked human. She was biting her lip and her hand was slightly shaking as she handed the redhead her glass of water. Charlotte could almost hear her thinking while she could only wonder what was going on. Tuomas would destroy Floor’s bracelet, the last thing she got from her parents and her secret identity, something she loved very much. What would all of that have to do with her? Maybe she just was at the wrong place at the wrong time? Maybe Tuomas had taken her so Floor wouldn’t attack him? Whatever it was, Floor seemed to know the truth, if only she would say something…

With a sigh Floor finally sat down next to Charlotte. She kept her eyes on the glass in her hand, as if she was fascinated by the way the glass reflected the moonlight. The silence in the apartment was too present, as a guest that had overstayed its welcome and was now waiting for you to ask him to leave.

‘Floor…?’

Once again the tall brunette sighed. She brought her glass to her lips and emptied it within a few seconds. She placed it on the coffee table in front of them before speaking, still not looking at Charlotte.

‘This is one of the reasons I can’t be in love.’

‘Wh-What?’

‘I can’t be in love.’ Floor repeated. ‘I won’t allow myself to fall in love. If I fall in love I’ll be distracted. I won’t risk my life anymore because then I have someone to live for. I’ll bring the life of my loved one in danger, and that’s exactly what happened. I brought your live into danger.’

Floor didn’t say it, but the unspoken  _because I love you_  hung in the air between them. Or was Charlotte just imagining it? Could someone like Floor really love her? Love her too?

Charlotte had realized that the feelings for her neighbor went beyond respect and idolization. She loved Floor as a friend, as her teacher and colleague, and she would lie if she said she hadn’t thought about more. She had been looking at Floor’s lips and wondered what they taste like. She had watched Floor’s hands and fought the urge to hold them. She had been spending more time than necessary in Floor’s apartment. She loved spending time with Floor, and maybe she also really loved Floor.

‘So, Tuomas is not after your bracelet? He wants me?’ Charlotte carefully asked.

‘I am so sorry, Charlotte. This was never supposed to happen.’

Charlotte only smiled as she crawled closer to the other woman. Carefully she brought her hand to Floor’s face and cupped her cheek, still smiling as she looked her in the eye. She felt her heart racing in her chest as she leaned in, but stopped as Floor grabbed her wrist.

‘Charlotte.’ Floor breathed as she held the redhead’s gaze. ‘I. Cannot. Be. In. Love.’

She released Charlotte’s wrist and got up from the couch, leaving her neighbor with a slightly broken heart. It wasn’t that Charlotte didn’t understand her, she did, but part of her didn’t want to believe it. Love is not something you can stop. You can try to fight it, but the power of love is greater than anything this world has ever seen. Maybe that was the problem. Floor wasn’t from this world.

‘You should sleep here tonight.’ Floor suddenly said. ‘It’s safer here, easier to protect you. Who knows what Tuomas has planned.’

Charlotte nodded and not another word was spoken between the two of them until they went to bed half an hour later. Floor locked the door of the bedroom and in silence they agreed on what side of the bed they’d sleep on. Charlotte was relieved to see Floor also slept in a tanktop and shorts and was a little more comfortable as she lay down in bed. They both mumbled a goodnight before Floor turned off the light.

Just like in her own apartment it wasn’t completely dark in the bedroom. Charlotte could clearly see the contours of Floor’s face and she kept following them with her eyes. Even now she could see the worry on the other woman’s face, the worry about her, and even now she was beautiful. She couldn’t fight back the smile that crawled on her lips, it was too strong. The power of love was too strong.

Within a second Charlotte had made her decision and crawled closer to Floor before swinging one leg over the brunette’s body. Floor opened her eyes and looked at her with a frown as she straddled her hips. She placed her hands on both sides of Floor’s head and leaned down.

‘Charlotte, what are you doing?’

Charlotte answered the question by softly pressing her lips on Floor’s. She felt how the other woman lightly kissed her back after a second and with a smile she pulled back. Her breath hovered over Floor’s face before she stopped at her ear.

‘Let me show you the power of love.’

Charlotte could feel the goose bumps covering Floor’s body as she kissed her again and placed her hand on the brunette’s neck. She let her hand slide down to her shoulder and stopped as it reached Floor’s breast. Floor lightly gasped as Charlotte carefully squeezed it before doing the same thing with her other hand.

Her heart started beating faster as her right hand reached the hem of Floor’s shirt and her fingers slipped under it. She loved Floor’s abs, had admired them since she first saw them, and they felt amazing under her fingers. She felt how they contracted by the first touch, and how they did it again as Charlotte lightly scratched them.

Charlotte’s hand moved down and so did her mouth. A moan sounded as Charlotte’s kissed Floor’s neck and she smiled as she felt the brunette’s hand on her hip. Floor was enjoying this more than Charlotte thought she would and she was only glad about that.

Floor didn’t seem to protest as Charlotte let her hand slip into her shorts. She was surprised when she found a pair of boxershorts and she had to fight the urge to look what color they were. She was pulled from her thoughts as she heard Floor’s moan and smiled. This was supposed to be love making and not a session of teasing so slipped her fingers into the underwear. Once again Floor gasped as Charlotte touched her in a new place. The redhead could feel how the woman underneath her grabbed the sheets as she stroke her center and touched the small bundle of nerves.

All these sensations were new for Floor and it took her less than a minute to climax. A loud moan filled the room, her nails were buried in the sheets and Charlotte couldn’t keep her eyes off her orgasm face. She was so beautiful, so pure, so… Floor.

Slowly Charlotte pulled back as Floor recovered. She was still scared for her reaction, but relaxed a few seconds later. Floor opened her eyes, smiled and cupped Charlotte’s face before kissing her again.

‘I love you.’

Charlotte’s heart ached as she heard the whisper. Yes, this is what she wanted to hear, but she hadn’t dared to hope. She whispered the same words before kissing Floor again and lying down again, her head of Floor’s shoulder and her arm wrapped around her waist.

Everything was perfect as Charlotte fell asleep. She was a superhero, falling asleep in the arms of the woman she loved. The thought that this was possibly the first and only time this would ever only occurred to them as the sound of shattering glass filled the apartment. Both women immediately sat up and Floor was out of bed before Charlotte could even blink her eyes.

‘Stay here!’

Fear filled Charlotte’s body as she watched Floor unlock the door and leave the bedroom. For a few very long seconds it was quiet, then the sound of shattering glass sounded again. Charlotte felt the shards cutting through her skin as Tuomas flew through the window and immediately grabbed her once again, his grip now tighter than earlier this evening. She let out a surprised scream, but was silenced as cold metal was pressed against her throat.

Never before had Charlotte been so scared, and never before had she seen Floor this angry. Her eyes were filled with anger as she entered the room again and for a second Charlotte wasn’t sure who she was scared of the most. The man that had a knife pressed against her throat, the woman that seemed ready to kill anyone on her path, or the ice cold silence in the room.

No one said a word, everyone knew exactly what was going on. If Floor dared to make one wrong movement Tuomas would slit Charlotte’s throat. Charlotte couldn’t move in his iron grip and was totally helpless. She couldn’t reach the button on her necklace, couldn’t use any of the self-defense Tristen had thought her. Her life was in Tuomas’ hands.

‘Any last words for your toy?’

Charlotte could see the fire in Floor’s eyes rising as the man spoke. The grin on his face was so present in his voice that the redhead instantly hated him even more, if that was possible.

‘I have some words for you.’ Floor said confidently.

She kept her eyes on the man in front of her as she took a deep breath. A high pitched noise sounded. It didn’t hurt Charlotte’s ears, but she could feel how her heart started beating faster. She immediately recognized the technique Floor was using and started humming in a low tone. Charlotte had been doing this every time Floor used the power of her voice so it wouldn’t harm her, something Tuomas obviously didn’t know.

The muscles in the man’s arms started clenching, Charlotte could hear him groan in pain and smiled for a second. For a moment the redhead believed everything would be fine, but then she felt her own muscles reacting to the soundwaves. Floor’s pitch was higher than it had ever been before and Charlotte couldn’t protect herself from it. Her body started aching, her ears felt like they could explode any moment.

And then it was over.

The cold metal that was pressed against her throat disappeared together with the arm wrapped around her body. The noise was still ringing in her hears, but was not actually audible anymore. Floor was no longer staring Tuomas to death, she was sitting on top of his back while she cuffed him with the cuffs she’d once shown Charlotte. Tristen had brought them from their planet, the metal was stronger than any material on earth and Floor had been saving it for a special occasion like this.

Floor’s heavy breathing was louder than Tuomas’ whining, but it was still overpowered by the loud beating of Charlotte’s heart. Her body was still filled with fear as she watched Floor and she only calmed down a bit as Floor looked at her.

‘You’re bleeding.’ Floor breathed before hitting Tuomas in the middle of his back and receiving a loud groan. ‘That’s what you get for hurting her.’

Only now did Charlotte feel the liquid in her neck. She felt a small cut as she brought up her hand before looking at the blood on her finger. It didn’t hurt, but that was probably just because of the adrenaline that had taken over the fear in her body.

‘I don’t get it.’ Tuomas gritted. ‘I’m stronger than you! You shouldn’t be able to defeat me! Your powers aren’t stronger than mine!’

Floor looked at Charlotte and smiled as she turned her attention to Tuomas again. Every sign of anger was gone, the brunette could only smile and her voice sounded sweeter than ever.

‘I got a new power, Tuomas, and you shouldn’t underestimate it. It’s the strongest power ever found, it cannot be defeated.’

‘And what would that be?’ Tuomas groaned.

Floor looked at Charlotte with such an admiring smile that the redhead could almost feel her knees go weak. It was the same smile Floor had given her just a few hours earlier and when Floor answered, is felt as if those words where only meant for her.

‘The power of love.’


End file.
